"I Will Set Egyptians Against Egyptians"

Posted on February 3, 2011

Rocks pepper the air during violent clashes among Egyptians on 2/2/11

Watching the clashes in Egypt unfold Wednesday was disheartening as I saw a people outraged not only against their government, but against their own people. Several days ago Bill Salus from Prophecy News-Stand posted a fascinating piece that I decided to chew on and just see how things unfolded. That was January 28, 2011, and having returned to the article four days later, I can only imagine how close we are to the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Before I rediscovered Salus’ article, I was tagged in a note on facebook that touched on this same story. It led me to pick up Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum’s The Footsteps of the Messiah (Copyright 2004) to see what was said of this particular passage of Scripture that has been buzzing the internet in the last few days. Admittedly, this is a prophecy I was not aware of, so out of caution, I wanted to inquire of this prophecy expert before researching the topic further. To my amazement, this is what I read on page 94:

In this passage the land of Egypt is in view and the idiom points to a conflict all over the land of Egypt as the nation is engrossed in civil war.

My mouth nearly dropped open when I read these words. The Scripture in Isaiah 19:1-4 reads straightforward enough, but this confirmation from Fruchtenbaum made it a bit more realistic, enough for me to read it to my wife. We both sat in awe and wonder of what we may be witnessing in Egypt. Here is the passage from Isaiah 19:1-4,

The burden against Egypt. Behold, the LORD rides on a swift cloud, And will come into Egypt; The idols of Egypt will totter at His presence, And the heart of Egypt will melt in its midst. “I will set Egyptians against Egyptians; Everyone will fight against his brother, And everyone against his neighbor, City against city, kingdom against kingdom. The spirit of Egypt will fail in its midst; I will destroy their counsel, And they will consult the idols and the charmers, The mediums and the sorcerers. And the Egyptians I will give Into the hand of a cruel master, And a fierce king will rule over them,” Says the Lord, the LORD of hosts.

Is this what we are seeing before our eyes? Watch this video for instance (you can literally see the rocks flying through the air):

Would you say Egyptians are against Egyptians today? In His Olivet Discourse, Jesus said in Matthew 24:7,

For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences,and earthquakes in various places.

Jesus is speaking of regional conflict when He mentions kingdom against kingdom. Would you say the Middle East is in total conflict today? Is not Iran waging war against Egypt through a Muslim Brotherhood proxy? Have not the Tunisian and Lebanese governments toppled in the last month? Are not the people of Jordan and Yemen seeking fundamental change of their governments? Should all of these governments become radicalized, will they not all come against Israel as the Bible predicts in Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 38-39? Will not Damascus, Syria become a ruinous heap as prophesied in Isaiah 17:1?

Is not the world’s food supply stretched to its limit, which could precede global famine? Is the earth not experiencing greater earthquake activity and in various places? Is the world not on the verge of a major pandemic? Are not terrorists organizations threatening the use of biological weapons? These are just a few of the signs we are to expect in the last days. Others include an apostate church, merging of religious ideas, a global economy, a global government, and a persecuted Church. Jesus tells us in Matthew 24:8:

All these arethe beginning of sorrows (emphasis original).

Prophecy watchers have been sounding the alarm for years that Christ’s return is before us. Though we’ve seen events cycle like birth pangs of a woman in child labor, as she gets closer to delivery, the contractions become more frequent and more intense. My friends, we are in an intense contraction and God only knows when the clock will strike midnight.

If you have been looking for a time to get serious with God and turn from your sinful lifestyle, now is the time. The warnings are screaming of His return, and there is nothing more that must happen before He comes for His Bride, the Body of Christ. Are you sure you are saved? If you have been playing games with your eternity, time is up. Repent and trust in Christ as Lord and Savior, or you will suffer at the hand of His judgment.

Now, time will only tell how things pan out in Egypt and the Middle East. I can’t help but believe they will continue as Scripture has foretold, and what we are witnessing is indeed the beginning of sorrows. The footsteps of the Messiah are kicking up dust on the horizon. We believers must step up our efforts to proclaim the Gospel. We must run like never before to the finish line set before us, and may we all pour ourselves out like a drink offering, anxiously awaiting our Savior’s return and the crown that awaits us for loving His appearing! (2 Timothy 4:6-8)